Senior activist alleges, nearly 60% of South Gujarat tribals fail to get land under Forest Rights Act

Manjula Pradeep at the rally venue

By A Representative
In an important revelation, nearly 60 per cent of the tribals of the Chhotaudepur region in South Gujarat have still not been given land titles they are entitled to under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. A representation by Manjula Pradeep of Ahmedabad-based NGO Navsarjan Trust, which organized a powerful rally in Chhotaudepur town to press for tribal rights, has said, out 13,381 applications for land under FRA, only 5,498 applications have so far been approved, while the rest "remain to to be cleared."
The representation, handed over to the district collector, Chhotaudepur, demanded "early clearance of the pending applications", insisting, "A high-powered investigation in the poor rate of implementation of the FRA should be ordered to find out the reasons behind the delay." The NGO's revelation comes close on the heels of a Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India report, which said that in Gujarat just about 40 per cent of the applications are pending, and this is worse than 13 other Indian states.

The document shows, as of December-end 2014, Gujarat, an early starter, was able to dispose of just 39.97 per cent, or 75,974 claims, out of 1,90,051 tribals who had applied for land titles. This is against the national average of a whopping 82.60 per cent (17,13,519 out of 39,59,0190). The document, titled “Status report on implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 for the period ending December 31, 2014”, was sent to the Cabinet Secretariat on January 16, 2015.
Navsarjan, in its representation, regretted that despite the fact that many tribals in four talukas of the district -- Chhotaudepur, Kavant, Jetpur-Pavi and Sankheda -- are now farmers, they have no irrigation facilities. "The Narmada Dam is not very far from Chhotaudepur, yet there are no canals to serve the tribal areas. Instead, waters are flowing far away to Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat. Hence, the tribal farmers have to depend heavily on rains for irrigating their fields", the representation said.

Then, it pointed out that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is not being implemented properly. "While large number of tribals in the district do have NREGA job cards, they are unable to get any employment. The result is that, large number of them have to migrate to other towns and cities in search of jobs. This has its adverse impact on children's education. According to our estimate, every year 70 per cent of the tribals migrate out", the representation said.
The representation also refers to failure to implement the right to education law in Chhotaudepur, lack of basic facilities like electricity and drinking water water in individual households, refusal to give tribals the housing subsidy in order to build their own houses, refusal of the police to take complaints from the tribals, refusal to make list many tribals in the below poverty list (BPL), lack of fair price shops, and so on. Calling all this "violation of the basic civil rights", the representation demanded fast alleviation of the problems.

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Dr. Ram Bux Singh: Biogas pioneer’s legacy gains urgency amid energy crisis

By A Representative In an era defined by a global energy crisis and a desperate search for sustainable solutions, the visionary work of an Indian scientist from the mid-20th century is finding renewed, urgent relevance. Dr. Ram Bux Singh , a pioneering figure in biogas and renewable energy , is being posthumously honored by the Government of India, even as his decades-old innovations provide a blueprint for today’s challenges.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Protesters in UK cities voice concerns over alleged developments in Bastar region

By A Representative Demonstrations were held across several cities in the United Kingdom on March 28, as groups and activists gathered to protest what they described as state actions in India under the reported “Operation Kagar.”

Search This Blog